New York 2014: Day 5

Since we've managed to go to most of the places we wanted to visit, today was relatively slow-paced compared to yesterday.

We decided to have our breakfast on the MET steps, Gossip Girl-style.

Hotdogs for Kayo and Kazu...

...cheese steak sandwich and a pretzel for me and Fumika!

Both Kayo and Kazu haven't explored Central Park yet, so Fumika and I took them there.

With cherry blossoms in full bloom and a sunny sky, it was a perfect day to take a walk in the park.

These cutie pies were playing by the cherry blossom tree. So cute!

Can someone take me on a boating date in Central Park?

Bethesda Fountain. It's one of the largest fountains in New York.

The neoclassical sculpture (also known as Angel of the Waters) commemorates the 1842 opening of the Croton Aqeuduct, which supplied New York City with fresh water.

The Navy Terrace. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, both agreed that nature, rather than architecture, was to be of paramount importance in their plan. Their vision consisted of a place where people could experience nature, a means of escape from the busy urban life in the city.

It's also known for its spectacular views, people-watching opportunities, and appearances by talented street performers.

In Gossip Girl, it served as Serena's sanctuary when she's troubled, and is also the place of Chuck and Blair's wedding in the season finale.

Speaking of weddings, a wedding photo shoot was being held while we walked through the terrace! Talk about being lucky!

They're like the real-life Chuck and Blair.

Life goals: go on a picnic with my dog in Central Park.

Strawberry Fields. It's a memorial that pays tribute to the late Beatle, John Lennon. It is named after the Beatles' song, "Strawberry Fields Forever." It is also said to be John and Yoko's favorite spot in the park.

As people gazed at the memorial, this guy was singing a Beatles song.

THAT HAIR. This girl is definitely a blogger of some sort.

Possibly the next One Direction?

After Central Park, we had to go back to Kayo's hotel as her bus back to Rhode Island was leaving in an hour. Never did I think that I would become teary-eyed when I said goodbye to Kayo, but I did. I just missed her too much! Hope to see you in Tokyo again this summer, Kayo!

New York City = Cronuts. So for our next stop, we went to Dominique Ansel Bakery, the origin of the donut and croissant hybrid!

My heart sank when I was told that they were out of cronuts for the day. Apparently, people line up every morning for more than two hours before the bakery opens to get their hands on a cronut. And even some of them can be unlucky as the bakery only makes 200 of these hybrids per day. WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS BEFORE. I hate myself and my lack of pre-New York research.

But look at all those pastries, though!

They have a garden located at the back of the bakery where people can enjoy the sun while relishing Ansel's mouth-watering pastries.

Since we went all the way down to the bakery anyway, we just ordered other treats such as D.K.A (Dominique's Kouign Amann) and Madeleines. Though Kazu and I wanted to have cronuts REALLY BADLY.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Milk Shot! I've always wanted to try one ever since I saw a photo of it on Tumblr.

I really really wanted this shirt by Pollock, but they had ran out of smalls.

Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jack Pierson, Jackson Pollock, and Lawrence Weiner are just some of the artists who takes part in this collaboration!

And of course, how can I not visit Grand Central Terminal while I'm in New York City?

"Spotted at Grand Central, bags in hand: Serena Van der Woodsen."

I can just hear Gossip Girl saying that while I walked into Grand Central.

Kazu had to leave early on our last day in New York because she had dinner plans with her aunt who lives in the city. One last group photo before we went our separate ways (again.) It's safe to say that I became teary-eyed once more. Two goodbyes in one day? It's impossible to handle. Unlike Kayo, I don't know when will be the next time I'll see Kazu again because she doesn't have plans of going back to Tokyo for the summer. Possibly next year if my plans of visiting her in California pushes through?

After we bid our farewells, Fumika and I headed to Times Square to do some last minute shopping. We stopped by Aeropostale, a store that I never really took the initiative to visit because American casual isn't really my style. But to my surprise, I actually liked some of their pieces!

One of their employees, Alex, was really nice! He found the sizes of the clothes that I wanted and helped me choose between the ones that I picked (because I can't buy them all.) Couldn't have asked for a better way to end my trip in New York City! #AlexFromAero

These past five days were a real-life dream to me. One of my high school dreams came true, and I got to share it with a few of my closest friends. New York City is not just a place, it's an experience. And the experience definitely exceeded my fantasies of the city. I've always had a desire to move into a sardine can-sized apartment in Manhattan and ideally become a New Yorker. This trip to the city made that desire even stronger. Hopefully I can go visit again in the near future! Not because I want to, but because I need to. Because I think I left my heart there.

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The Guy Behind The Camera

Ken is a 20-year old Japanese/Filipino photography enthusiast based in Toronto. This blog was born out of a want to document his forthcoming years of being an international student outside of his hometown, and what began as a personal diary soon became a time capsule. In this fast-paced world he lives in, he makes it a point to pause and take something out of each beautiful moment. And he does this through photographs and films. This is the chronicle of his journey.